ADHD Adults

Trouble with Vocab, Driving and Work!

I have extreme ADD and in last year or so it has effected my memory , I cant stay focused no matter what I try, it doesnt matter if Im interested in the subject at hand or not I will completely forget what I just did or read about 5 min later! I am also the worlds worst driver and I think it is due to spacing off and not paying attention I have had over 7 accidents or tickets in the last 1 1/2 , I try and carry on conversations with people and cant remember simple vocabulary it is so embarrassing! I now am a mother of a 6 year old girl and am so worried she will grow up with the same brain as me and its so scary what can I do to help her!!

Are you on meds? Have you had your sex hormones tested? thyroid and cortisol hormones? Has this always been the case or has there been a change in the past few years?

I hated the idea of trying meds. Dx’d after menopause but some degree of lifelong symptoms that waxed/waned with some stress and other factors. Menopause made it worse. Long term stress affected cortisol and that impacted thyroid.

I also found some lifestyle factors that affect me. I have to have regular exercise. Both ADD symptoms, overall mood and well being influenced. My symptoms were at their lowest without meds when I exercised with heavy weight training and karate from mid 20’s to late 30’s. Could no longer take quite such heavy exercise and switched to hiking.

Diet getting some stuff out and making sure other stuff in regularly, reducing chemical exposure, some supplements all helped lower my symptoms but I finally admitted I’d cleared everything I’d found possible, had improvement but not enough. Starting meds made my timing, reflexes and responses much better. Driving hadn’t been too bad but is safer now. Hormone imbalances had also interfered with my driving and memory. Just saw an article today on post menopausal women using ADD meds for cognitive issues. That’s fine with me IF hormones are checked first, balanced and THEN ADD meds used if not enough improvement with hormones alone.

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